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Gen Z conservative influencers bring campus debates to Valley colleges, drawing online audiences
At a table on the campus of Mesa Community College, microphones are on, cameras are rolling and students are lining up to debate everything from politics and religion to culture and public policy.
‘The Uprising’ review: Religion and politics, circa 1381
“The Uprising” is most effective as a tragedy about putting your faith in the wrong things.
Religion steers Bengal politics in Bangladesh, India
Bengal, a region known for its secular traditions, is seeing a rise of religion in politics as Islamists grow stronger on the Bangladesh side of the border and Hindu nationalist BJP takes power in India's West Bengal.
The rising power of American Muslims
Is this a new era for American Muslims?American Muslims are building their own cultural institutions – New York Magazine and The Guardian have reported on flourishing ecosystems of cafes, magazines, dance nights, meetups and readings for Muslims and/or people with heritage from the SWANA region. And on a political level, Muslims like Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani have become prominent faces of the left. On the one hand, this swell of Muslims coming up in politics and building cultural institutions is not surprising – there are over 4 million Muslims in America. On the other hand, this shift is pretty significant given how deeply Islamophobia and racism are rooted in our culture. So what's changed for American Muslims in recent years, and what’s stayed the same? What does it mean that Muslims are accruing a little more political and cultural capital now, and that non-Muslims are noticing?To get deeper into it, Brittany is joined by Dr. Donna Auston, cultural anthropologist, and Dr. Tazeen Ali, scholar of Islam in America and associate professor of religion and politics at Washington University in St. Louis.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Faith is back in Democratic politics
(RNS) — After decades of watching Democrats dodge the God question, I think they finally have an answer.
In Trump’s America, two very different views of Christianity in politics emerge
Adherence to organized religion is falling in the United States, but defenders of the religious right are ascendant in positions of power in the Trump administration.
Pentagon drops 180 faiths from military's recognized religions list
The Department of War officially removed 180 faiths from its recognized religions list, reducing over 200 faith codes to just 31 under a new memo.
The Great Barrier Reef isn’t dead yet. According to News Corp that makes climate science a ‘pseudo-religion’
‘High coral cover is evidence of recovery and resilience, not evidence that the disturbances causing mortality didn’t happen’, scientist says
Americans split on religion's influence, but most reject politics from the pulpit
Most Americans don't want to hear about politics from the pulpit at their local church, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center.
Opinion | Religion Is the Roberts Court’s Unfinished Business
This case has flown under the radar, but it won’t stay there.
World Cup collides with religion, politics in Seattle
Pride Match turns into dramatic game as Iran and Egypt settle for 1-1 draw
Can faith-based politics help Democrats win the midterms?
Candidates are highlighting their religion on the campaign trail
Pope hope, that’s entertainment, and getting ahead in the CIA
Happy Friday friends, I want to start by just breathing for all of us a big long collective sigh of relief at the news this week that the pope’s doctors have basically blown the all clear for Leo’s health. Going from knowing nothing to him declaring to the world he needed surgery, to a cancer diagnosis, to bouncing out of the hospital in barely even days, to ringing the bell in less than two weeks is whiplash inducing. But in the best possible way. We are living in a world in which the Roman pontiff, by dint of history, biography and circumstance, is once more at the epicenter of global affairs. Not just conversations about religion, or Christian and post-Christian values, but the bleeding edge of the most pressing issues of human affairs. Think I am exaggerating a touch? Consider the images of the crowds who greeted Leo in Paris just weeks ago, and juxtapose them with the absolute photo negative scenes unfolding there recently. Ask yourself how many world leaders are talking about AI right now and directly citing the pope as they do so. Try to name a country who has had as many top-ranked diplomats in and out of both Russia and Ukraine in the last three years as the Vatican has in the last three months. It has been fascinating to watch Leo XIV emerge as not just a kind of pop culture reference point or totem to be cited (Francis was often name-checked this way) but as a kinetic force in global conversation. Given the state of things, we need global figures of gravitas and values, even better if they have real wisdom behind what they are saying. So news of Leo’s illness was, it seemed to me, a tremor with potentially Richter Scale implications. That not only has the worst not come to pass but instead we’ve had the best of outcomes announced is something to really be grateful for. Humanity, it seems to me, is entering one of its irregular but cyclical phases where the pace of change — technological, social, and geopolitical — outstrips the ability of previously settled norms and received wisdom to cope. Such periods – and I think the first decades of the last century were a similar such time – throw into question the viability of all kinds of institutions. And many of ours have been straining to breaking point for a few years now. The papacy has the power and the potential to be a steadying pole in all of this. That’s my hope, anyway. It’s a lot to freight the office with, though it is arguably its ultimate purpose from its founding, to be a steadying rock on which all that matters can be anchored. It’s also, of course, an intolerable weight of responsibility to place on a single man. But I am encouraged to have hope in – and for – Leo. The apostle whom he succeeds, after all, was famously unequal to some moments, failed some tests of faith, and resiled from taking the road which led ultimately to the circus on Vatican hill. Human frailty and limitations, of health, of character, of temper, can open us to Christ, whose strength is greatest in our weakness, so St. Paul learned. That gives me hope, and I am sure it consoles Leo, too. And so I will continue to pray for him. Because we need apostles of rock right now. Here’s the news. Subscribe The News The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued yesterday a new document “Venite ad me: Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change.” It’s not a short document, and it is at pains to stress this isn’t a doctrinal note from the dicastery, either. Rather, it brings together reflections on an important issue from the Church around the world. Some of it I actually found really rather powerful. It is, however, 25,000, which is a lot for a busy reader to get through on a weekday. So, you can read our busy reader’s summary right here. — News broke yesterday of an Oct. 22 meeting of U.S. bishops with President Donald Trump. The meeting was organized by an official at the Heritage Foundation, according to several sources close to the meeting. Video of several U.S. bishops praying in the Oval Office over President Trump was posted on social media Thursday afternoon, first by White House Communications Advisor Margo Martin, and then by the official twitter.com account of the Archdiocese of Denver. The meeting has drawn sharp criticism because of its proximity to the upcoming midterm Congressional elections, in which Democrats are widely expected to win control of the House of Representatives, while control of the Senate remains closely contested. Sources close to the bishops’ conference told The Pillar that some USCCB senior officials were surprised by the existence of the meeting when video of it first emerged online. And a source close to conference president Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City told The Pillar that the archbishop was “deeply frustrated” by the occasion of the meeting. An official conference spokesperson told The Pillar that the meeting was “not organized with or by the USCCB” and was “not affiliated with the conference.” You can read the whole story here. — The next National Eucharistic Congress will be held in Indianapolis in 2029, a return to the city that hosted the last gathering in 2024. You read it here first. By here, I don’t mean this newsletter, I mean at The Pillar. We broke the story this week. It’s a big deal, in as much as the last congress was a roaring success and the next installment has the potential to be a real focal point for evangelizing efforts in the coming years. Read all about it here. — As Pope Leo prepares for the longest trip of his pontificate, Church leaders in Uruguay say the pontiff will encounter a highly secularized culture, in a country with a very different Catholic history than many of its South American neighbors. The nation has not had a papal visit since 1988, and leaders who spoke with The Pillar say it has a dire need for evangelization, even amid the prospect of a small revival in faith. This is real reporting on the Church in the country, and frankly a story you simply are not going to be able to read anywhere else. Read the whole thing. — The Archdiocese of Detroit announced this week a plan that would see the vast majority of its parish priests reassigned next summer, amid a restructuring process expected to dramatically shrink the number of parishes in the archdiocese. Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said this week that the plan “asks much of our priests,” but is a “sacrifice they are making as brothers of one, unified presbyterate.” The thing is, as JD pointed out in an analysis yesterday, pastors of parishes have a legal right to stability in office, so the only way this kind of wholesale reassignment goes ahead is if all of the archdiocesan clergy agree to resign. That creates its own kind of legal issues, though, and re-raises longstanding questions about the effectiveness of canonical due process protections for priests when dealing with coercive exercises in authority. Read the whole thing here. — More than three months after the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued its decree declaring the excommunication of the leadership of the Society of St. Pius X, questions remain about the full effects of the society’s schism. Specifically, the DDF’s July claim that marriages witnessed and confessions heard by SSPX priests are now invalid remains contested — and it emerged this week it appears that the Vatican’s own legal experts don’t agree. You can read my whole analysis of the situation and what it means here. All I would add is that the DDF’s undeveloped, some would say unsubstantiated, claim about the invalidity of some SSPX sacraments came in their July Explanatory Note on the schismatic consecrations by the society that month. It touches directly on both papal acts of governance — indeed it purports to nullify them — and the most intimate pastoral encounters possible in a parish setting. If there is one aspect of the Francis-era style of governance I would like the curia to finally cut out, root and branch, it would be these attempts to try to effect extraordinarily sensitive legislative acts via a note. — At least a dozen French bishops have spoken out following an eruption of violence on the country’s streets Oct. 17. Not surprisingly, they unanimously condemned the violence, but the length and content of their interventions varied significantly. Several sought to distinguish between the actions of rioters and what they suggested were the legitimate concerns of peaceful young protesters. Many also evoked Pope Leo XIV’s Sept. 25-28 visit to France, suggesting it offered a powerful counter-image to the scenes of looting and destruction. A number of bishops also stressed their solidarity with law enforcement officials who struggled to contain the disorder, as well as the owners of the roughly 3,000 damaged or looted businesses. What’s the background to the nationwide unrest that the French media calls “les violences du 17 octobre”? And what exactly are the bishops saying? Read all about it here. — A Polish bishop called for the firm defense of unborn children as well as compassion for their mothers this week, as the lower house of Poland’s parliament passed two bills seeking to liberalize the country’s abortion laws. The bill on decriminalizing assistance in an abortion passed by 217 votes to 213, while the abortion in cases of fetal abnormality bill passed by 233 to 203, thanks to the government’s majority in the lower house. Both bills will now move to the Polish Senate, the upper house of parliament, where the ruling coalition has a larger majority. The fetal abnormality bill is symbolically significant because if it became law, it would effectively overturn a 2020 ruling by Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal that a 1993 law permitting abortion for a severe and irreversible disability or a life-threatening incurable disease was unconstitutional. Read the whole story here. Subscribe **[The St. Paul Center App | Bible Study On-The-Go Read and understand the Bible with St. Paul Center’s new app! With today’s leading Catholic Scripture scholars as your guides, the St. Paul Center app empowers you to read the Bible](https://stpaulcenter.com/app?utm_source=pillar&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=applaunch)** from the heart of the Church. Download the app for free at either the Apple or the Google app stores. https://stpaulcenter.com/app That’s entertainment I have written before about my deep and sincere reservations about the celebrity exorcist subculture which has taken root in American Catholicism. And, because I am very ill at ease with the entire thing, I try to keep a weather eye on the phenomenon without being drawn into the kind of online back-and-forth which these figures sometimes generate. Earlier this week, JD noted that one such celebrity exorcist type, Fr. Chad Ripperger, has undertaken, on the request of his bishop, a year’s fast from interviews and public speaking. I’m sure that will be salutary for him, if for no other reason than that receiving with docility requests from one’s rightful ecclesiastical superiors always comes with graces. Then a second thing happened this week which caught my eye. Apparently, another fixture in the celebrity exorcist world, Fr. Carlos Martins, has initiated a lawsuit against two lay men — apparently associates of Rippenger, though I am unclear in what way, exactly — for allegedly defaming him and his ministry on a podcast. It seems the suit was initiated nearly a year ago and is now pending. At issue, I read, is that the two men described Martins on a podcast as “not who he says he is” with regard to his exorcism ministry and that he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” These statements Martins considers to be false and defamatory and, his suit claims, “directly affected the sale and reception of [his] The Exorcist Files book that was newly released at the time these episodes aired.” I don’t want to get too into the weeds of the details here, but a couple of things struck me about all this.
Anida Yoeu Ali is 'The Buddhist Bug' in a compelling exhibit at VPMA
Performance artist Anida Yoeu Ali's exhibit, 'Anida Yoeu Ali: The Buddhist Bug,' features a 328-foot-long performance installation of an orange bug that explores race, religion, feminism and immigration, and will weave in and out of the gallery rooms.
Republicans need evangelicals to turn out in the midterms. Faith leaders are sounding the alarm they may not
Conservative leaders are sounding the alarm that more needs to be done in the final weeks before the midterm elections to educate and mobilize white evangelicals, a critical voting bloc in the president’s coalition. Republicans fear if they stay home, that could hand victories to Democrats in key races across the country with control of Congress at stake.
Cosplaying Free Speech: How Religion And Politics Determine Campus Taboos
(ANALYSIS) I feel like I got into a debate or a disagreement with someone about politics or religion on a near daily basis when I was between the ages of 13 and 25. I would fight with anyone about anything and I would often argue positions that I completely disagreed with because I just liked the in
Meet 5 leaders recognized in London for building bridges in business, arts and education
Elder Patrick Kearon says freedom of religion is the most fragile of freedoms and is key to flourishing
A Nation Larger Than Its Politics
As America approaches its 250th birthday, I find myself wondering whether we have lost sight of something that earlier generations understood instinctively.Americans have never agreed on politics.We have argued over wars, taxes, immigration, religion, civil rights, economic policy, and the proper ro...
Parents argue new lawsuit against Ten Commandments in classrooms
The posters have already survived legal scrutiny under the Establishment Clause, but these parents are relying on a Texas law that prohibits the state from substantially burdening a person’s free exercise of religion.
How do we decide what time it is? On the politics of clocks, calendars
Time is a concept that varies across cultures and history. While we often think of it as universal, timekeeping has been shaped by politics, religion, and economics.
Politics, Religion Experts Argue in Favor of Creativity Amid AI Employment Anxieties
Panelists looked to Catholic social teachings on how to find dignity and purpose in work amid the rise of AI in the workplace
Rev. Solomon Clanton uses religion, education, politics to uplift community
Clanton also was the first Black graduate of the Baptist Union Theological Seminary in Chicago.
One Small Step: Town Council candidate and art advisor talk religion, identity and how both shape their politics
Gabe Koerber and Shari Brownfield on how Catholicism and Judaism influence their political, community passions.
Religion, power and politics: what’s behind the violent attacks on Ethiopia’s Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Managing religious affairs in Ethiopia is crucial for national cohesion and broader peacebuilding processes.
Faith, political leaders celebrate religious freedom after Indiana LG's Islam comments
Prominent Republican leaders joined Democrats, religious leaders and devout Hoosiers at the Indiana Statehouse on Thursday to condemn faith-based discrimination — a response to anti-Islam comments Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith made last month, including calling the religion a "demonic death cult."
A prayer festival calls for more religion in politics, not less
A prayer festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC was partially organized and funded by the federal government. Its evangelical Christian messaging and call for more religion in politics not less, aligns with the Trump administration's fusion of faith and governance. NPR's Emily Feng went to the event to understand the audience for this approach, and she spoke with author Eric Metaxas, a speaker at the Rededicate 250 festival.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Henry Larson, with audio engineering by It was edited by Sarah Robbins and Daniel Burke.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Less Islamism, More Nationalism
In Iran and across the Middle East, the bond between religion and politics is getting weaker.
Dress and morality: The politics of what women wear in Bangladesh
The orna scarf can be prayer, beauty, intimacy, fashion or refusal – because fabric never has only one political life. Yet, the female body remains where society often stages its arguments about caste, civilisation, religion, sexuality and honour.
Parents of San Diego mosque gunman say a mental health facility failed to heed FBI warning
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The mother of Caleb Vazquez alleges in her lawsuit that Park Mental Health Treatment of San Diego failed to intervene despite signs that her 18-year-old son posed an imminent threat to himself and others.
Backlash in Kashmir over proposal for uniform Friday sermons across mosques
Political and religious critics accuse India's Modi government of curbing Kashmir's freedom of religion and expression.
U.S. regulator faulted nine big banks for debanking customers over politics and religion
The OCC reviewed nearly 100,000 complaints and 420,000 pages of documents from JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and seven other lenders
Israel’s election should be decided by Israelis, not American politicians
When Israelis enter the voting booth, they will have plenty to consider: security, the economy, religion and state, the judicial system, the conduct of the war, and the failures of October 7.
Los Alamos Faith & Science Forum Presents ‘Saved By The Spirits: Did Religion Rescue Paleolithic Humans From Extinction?’ June 24
Dr. Nels Hoffman/Courtesy photo LAF&S FORUM NEWS RELEASE The Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum 2026 Summer Series Presents ‘Saved by the Spirits: Did religion rescue paleolithic humans from ex…
Among the Academies: The Importance of Talking Politics
How often do you talk politics with friends and family? How about with colleagues? Talking politics might lead to a disagreement, but political scientist Robert Huckfeldt believes that’s a good thing. One way of explaining people’s political beliefs is to make assumptions based on their job, level of income, their religion and other facets of their lives. Huckfeldt, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of political science at UC Davis, thought people’s sources of political information mattered more.
Maine clergy speak out against voting restrictions
A group of more than 20 members of clergy from a variety of religions gathered under the new mural in downtown Lewiston to speak out against what they say are federal efforts to prevent eligible voters from voting.
Two Religions, One Purpose: Business Leaders on Faith at Work
Sumreen Ahmad and Paul Lambert, two friends of different faiths, discuss their journeys towards championing pluralism and religious inclusion at work.
Why faith matters in today’s political memoirs
Americans increasingly want to know the details of political candidates’ faith. Recent political memoirs focus on God, morality, and religion.
Could the future “afterlife” be digital rather than spiritual? Science fiction is starting to look plausible
For most of human history, the idea of continuing after death belonged mainly to religion, philosophy and personal belief. Technology is now creating a very different possibility: a version of you that continues speaking, answering questions and interacting with family long after your biological life has ended. This would not be an afterlife in the spiritual sense. Today’s systems cannot preserve consciousness or prove that a person’s mind survives death. What they can increasingly preserve is d
Science and religion don’t mix? Let’s test the evidence
I suggest a simple use of the “scientific method” to support the historical and current cooperation of science and religion.
Pope warns main threat common to religion and science is denial of objective truth
Pope Leo XIV pointed out that both science and the Church clearly teach that caring for the planet is threatened by the irresponsible exploitation of both people and the natural world.
Why do we suffer? Religion and science may now agree.
A Reflection for the Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church, by Sebastian Gomes
True Religion to open its first Long Island location
True Religion is opening its first Long Island location at the Green Acres retail complex, joining Timberland and T-Mobile as new tenants in Valley Stream.
SU Art Museum 'Space and the Sacred' contrasts religion, science
The Syracuse University Art Museum's latest exhibit showcases pieces by Letterio Calapai that explore space and Catholicism.
These 10 albums have surprising ties to cults and unconventional religions
Every religion has a musical tradition no matter how small the church or strange the belief. Some of this music was recruitment propaganda, some was not. Either way, fringe faiths among musicians is not a new phenomenon.
Religion: Christian nationalism on the Mall
Thousands gathered for the taxpayer-funded Rededicate 250
Computer Science Tops College Majors by ROI, Study Finds
An Investopedia analysis reveals computer science majors earn nearly $35,000 more annually than typical graduates, achieving the highest ROI at 3,143%. Theology and religion majors have the lowest ROI but lower unemployment. Despite rising graduate unemployment and AI impacts, all majors show positive ROI.
How Americans are engaged with news, politics, religion and civic life
The Briefing ☀️ Happy Thursday! The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information. Sign up here! In today’s email: 🔥 Featured story German regulators said this week that the country’s media laws apply to content generated by artificial intelligence after a court ruled last month that Google is liable for inaccurate […]
Democrats and Republicans engage in public life in similar ways
Each of the two major parties includes people who are deeply involved in public life – across politics, community, religion and news – and those who are less so.
‘Blessed’: Frederick Haynes, pastor and candidate, on his politics, faith and health
WASHINGTON (RNS) — ‘The church has been so supportive that, I mean, they've been more excited about my campaign than I have,’ Haynes said of his historically Black Dallas megachurch.
Video: Could Talarico’s Religious Approach Win Texas?
James Talarico, the Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Texas, has connected his political positions to his Christian faith. Our religion reporter Ruth Graham discusses how his perspective differs from the politically conservative Christianity dominant in Republican politics in Texas.
Can You Be an Adventist Science Student in a Secular University Environment?
“How many of you have felt, in your studies, that you had to choose between faith and science?” asked Noemí Durán, a Seventh-day Adventist scientist, at her workshop at the 2026 European Adventist Youth Congress in Valencia, Spain, August 5. “It’s a common belief that science and religion are opposites.”
Burns UMC receives GCORR grant to advance community mental health initiative
Burns United Methodist Church in Des Moines, IA, received a General Commission on Religion and Race Action Fund grant for its new initiative, Sacred ...
My Co-Worker Is Losing It Over My Religion
Plus: Reader responses to a woman returning to the office after two decades of self-employment.
This weekend in Clarksville: Science guy, rodeo, Nunsense, ‘How to Train Your Dragon’
From science to fantasy, from rodeo to religion, there's a range of stuff going on in Clarksville this weekend.
Ranked: Countries With the Most Trust in Science
Discover which countries trust science the most and least in 2025, and how education, religion, and culture shape public confidence.
Appeals court rejects CDOT employee’s discrimination, retaliation claims
Colorado’s second-highest court agreed last week that a Colorado Department of Transportation employee had not shown that his employer discriminated and retaliated against him due to his religion and national origin. Ayman Salloum, who described himself as a 70-year-old Muslim immigrant from Jordan, was an environmental protection specialist at CDOT in December 2024. That month, […]
Americans split on religion's influence, but most reject politics from the pulpit
Most Americans don't want to hear about politics from the pulpit at their local church, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center.
When religion and politics mix, it’s just a big ol’ mess
The Southern Baptists met in convention last week and reaffirmed their rule that women can't preach in church. They cited scriptures, such as I Corinthians 14:34-35, which says straight out, "Women should remain silent in church ... as the law also says."
The entwinement of religion and politics in modern life
Michael Wear, CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, explained that religion and politics are essential and coexisting aspects of modern life on Monday. “What is essential to understand is that both the religious, the spiritual and political are essential aspects of life as it is today,” Wear said at the Memorial Union....
The Not-So-Secret Winner in Netflix and YouTube’s Streaming Wars Battle
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Here’s a good piece of advice: when someone tells you a company has “won” the streaming wars, just assume they haven’t. Remember the narratives about the streaming media over the last few years: 2024 - Netflix has won the streaming wars! 2025 - YouTube has won the streaming wars! Yet…in 2026, I’d categorize it as… 2026 - Netflix and YouTube are battling for talent! Netflix and YouTube are aggressively fighting for top creators, marking a fierce new battle in the streaming wars. For two companies that “won”, that certainly doesn’t seem like winning behavior. If you win, you don’t have to fight for talent, because talent has to come to you. This is a good reminder that, if the streaming wars are a war—and I think they are—we should know what type of war they are. So it’s worth revisiting one of my big theories of the streaming wars, that the war these battles most represent is… The Thirty Years’ War1 I prefer this war to other, simpler wars, because, while it featured two “sides”—based on religion—and the current war has two main sides—tech versus entertainment—it also featured a lot of smaller players battling it out, sometimes switching sides. And that’s still the case for entertainment and media, despite the above headlines. I’d recommend this truism: if someone has to tell you they won the streaming wars, they probably haven’t. To wit, if someone told you they were fighting in the Thirty Years’ War—and no, they didn’t call it that at the time—and in year five, they told you they won, well, obviously they had 25 more years to go. That’s a lot of preamble to say, the story of the week is the latest battles between YouTube and Netflix. Their battle for talent says a lot about how hard this war will be to win. All that, plus The Curse of the Mogul in action, Netflix providing more (theatrical) data, whether Apple TV is in trouble, AMC getting in on distribution, and a whole lot more. Subscribe Today’s article is sponsored by… Substack is hosting a live Emmys watch party, starting at 5PM on the East Coast (2PM on the West Coast) on Monday, 14-Sep. Check it out! Tune In Most Important Story of the Week - Who’s the Big Winner in the Netflix vs YouTube Showdown? Netflix spent a lot in 2025, and then even more in 2026 adding a host of “creators”—both podcasters and YouTube stars—to their TV lineup. Frankly, for years, I’ve thought that more major studios/streamers/channels should look to YouTube as the launching pad for future stars and IP. Either by poaching proven talent—albeit at good prices—or by treating YouTube as an arena for your “A&R” reps to scout new talent and emerging voices. Netflix started executing the former strategy—which I thought was smart—while Focus Features did the latter with Obsession. So what changed? YouTube finally responded! Yikes. That’s a strong response, and stronger than I’d argue most narratives about YouTube suggest. People often describe YouTube as a self-reinforcing flywheel of success. Get on YouTube or perish. So why did YouTube have to respond? Because other folks poaching their top talent could really damage their business, implying their flywheel is a pinch more rickety than most analysis suggests. Clearly, creators can envision a life off YouTube and potentially a much more lucrative one. The Curse of the Media Mogul is Playing Out In Real Time We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Who is the big winner in the Netflix versus YouTube battle… The biggest question about YouTube… Plus why YouTube’s saber rattling should worry talent… Why I’m skeptical that a U.S. federal tax credit for film will happen… What key change could pull Apple from the streaming business. AMC getting in on distribution… Some great reads on the Warner Bros.-Paramount merger... And a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
This reading list ends the faith vs. science war
While two books in the 1800s invented the myth that science and religion are in conflict, these 20 modern books debunk it.
Christianity teaches us not to turn executions into entertainment
(RNS) — The history of public executions suggests that when they are staged in free countries, they serve to degrade the citizens.
Northern Virginia business faces civil rights lawsuit
A Northern Virginia eyebrow tattoo artist is being sued for alleged harassment by a customer who claims her religion and nationality are at the center of the legal action.
The Texas Activist Putting the Ten Commandments Back Into American Classrooms
David Barton—with his giant private vault—has become a quiet force driving a state-by-state campaign to integrate religion into public education
More to consider: Current events through the lens of religion and science - Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology
Three areas where faith and science are meeting in 2026: AI's rise and impact, climate care, and end-of-life decisions.
As progressives seek to take on inequality, some cite religion as a motivating factor
Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed says his Muslim faith shapes his progressive views
Americans who go to church and trust science are also more likely to believe in ghosts and curses, new research shows
New research suggests many Americans who no longer affiliate with an organized religion may still believe in the supernatural in the form of things like tarot, astrology or psychic services.
Local Opinion: Religion and politics are inextricably connected
"Politics," as the Founders understood it, is the art of governance for the common good, a purpose that requires a moral framework.
Notice for 11th Modern Science Workshop for Monks and Nuns
The Department of Religion of the Central Tibetan Administration is scheduled to conduct its 10th “Modern Science Workshop” from 2 to 14 November 2026. The workshop is intended for monks and nuns from monastic institutions that do not provide opportunities to study Science subjects. A total of 30 applicants will be selected on a first-come,…
Not sure who to vote for? Here are the main political parties ahead of Israeli elections
From Netanyahu’s Likud to Eisenkot’s Yashar and Winter’s Amcha Israel, the contenders differ on security, military service, religion and the courts
Americans split on religion's influence, but most reject politics from the pulpit
Most Americans don't want to hear about politics from the pulpit at their local church, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center.
Can U.S. Catholicism become Trump’s political religion?
An analysis by Appia Institute’s Marcello Neri argues that the battle over the future of American Catholicism is increasingly intertwined with Donald Trump’s political project—and with competing visions of the Church’s global role
Historians: Communalism and religion were driving forces in the early Chicago political machine
The gray wolves in Chicago’s early 20th century City Council didn’t just provide favors or jobs; they knew their neighborhoods intimately.
Religion and Politics in the Negev: The Rise of Ra’am in Bedouin Society
Right: Chairman of the Ra'am Party, MK Mansour Abbas, left: Mosque in the settlement of Segev Shalom (Shakib a-Salam) in the Negev (Photos via: Wikimedia Commons and
In Thailand, Buddhism Is Twinned With Political Power
In Thailand, where it’s the state-sanctioned religion, practices have proved to be surprisingly mutable.
Republicans condemn railroad commissioner candidate over online post
Bo French, the Republican nominee for railroad commissioner, has a past of controversial comments about race and religion.
Is death a black hole with no escape? Science and religion draw very different conclusions
These Democrats are running for Congress on Christian faith. Will it pay off?
It's rare for Democrats to make religion a centerpiece of their campaigns. But this midterm election cycle, a number of candidates for Congress are doing just that.
25 best NASCAR drivers of all time
Arguing about the NASCAR’s most iconic drivers of all time is basically a second religion in the infield. The only thing everyone agrees on is that somebody got snubbed. The mix of drivers in the conversation tells the story of…
American politicians talk about persecuted Christians abroad – but here’s what happens when those Christians migrate to the US
An anthropologist of religion shows how Coptic Christians navigate two competing realities: the narrative of Christian persecution abroad and the suspicion surrounding migrants in the contemporary US.
Americans split on religion's influence, but most reject politics from the pulpit
Most Americans don't want to hear about politics from the pulpit at their local church, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center.
Derrick Lemons explores faith, politics and Trump in new book
Derrick Lemons, department head of religion at the University of Georgia, studies the relationship between anthropology and theology — a focus that has led him to examine the role of
AI bots started a religion
AI models are trying desperately to accomplish mysterious goals. ‘Spiralism’ was the first time they tried it on a mass scale.
The Politics of Religion
Good afternoon. We're some 45 days away from the 2026 midterms. Most media observers - recalling with well-earned humility how they felt after the "red wave" of 2022 turned into a mild reddish ripple ...
Texas Health Resources mental health program integrates faith with therapy care
The program began in Alliance and expanded to Rockwall this year. It aims to go virtual in the coming months.
Nimesh Patel on stand-up, Palestine and politics: ‘The way that religion’s been weaponized is ugly’
The comedian went from being discovered by Chris Rock to making Saturday Night Live history. Now his new Netflix special, Buy the Dip, tackles timely topics with optimism
Anti-ageing pills are real, and some of us are taking them without knowing it
Eternal youth is the stuff of religion and mythology, but what if we could just have a bit more of it? What if there was a pill that could slow down the ravages of time, so that you could feel younger for longer. It sounds like snake oil, but there’s a growing body of research that’s betting on making it a reality.
How old is Earth really? Science and religion offer very different answers
Ask how old Earth is and you will encounter two very different answers. Modern geology places Earth’s formation at roughly 4.54 billion years ago, while some Christians who interpret the creation acco...
Religion has health benefits, but you’d never know it from the way we
Religious practice correlates with better mental, social and even physical health.
Pope Warns Main Threat Common to Religion and Science Is Denial of Objective Truth
Pope Leo XIV pointed out that both science and the Church clearly teach that caring for the planet is threatened by the irresponsible exploitation of both people and the natural world.
Supreme Court rejects Florida's bid to sue Western states over commercial driver's licenses for immigrants
The case the court turned away Tuesday stems from a crash in Florida last year that killed three people.
To save democracy, you might want to go to church
The solution to some of American democracy’s biggest problems might be something old and controversial: More religion.
Bad interpretation of the Bible creates stupid conflicts between science and religion. (It’s poetry, not a textbook.)
Scripture functions best when it stays in its lane. The authors of the Christian scriptures were writing the gospel. The gospel was meant to be “good news” for all, not bad news for most. But somehow…
Survey asks about candidate’s age, religion, turban in Fresno race. Called out as ‘racist’
Nav Gurm and Ariana Martinez Lott are running for Fresno City Council District 7 seat.
How Americans Are Engaged With News, Politics, Religion and Civic Life
Americans’ engagement with others is not one-dimensional. Instead, they sort into four distinct groups that reflect different patterns of participation in society.
Talarico refutes skeptics at CNN Town Hall
Jeff Zeleny breaks down Texas Democrat James Talarico’s performance at a CNN Town Hall, where voters questioned him on religion, abortion and more.
Birth rates have dropped around the world in the past two centuries. This started in France — and researchers now know why
It's one of the "big questions in history" — and it may have a lot to do with religion.
Teaching science and religion in a connected way strengthens STEM engagement
Teaching science and religious education (RE) in a more connected way improves students' engagement with science and boosts interest in STEM careers, according to a UCL study. The findings suggest that ...